Towel cutter apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for handling an elongated piece of towel material and cutting the material into selected lengths to form individual towels. The towel material is moved across a table surface and at selected locations is engaged by a plurality of comb-like teeth which serve to position the towel material for a cutter blade which traverses the material and severs the material into sections forming the individual towels.

United States Patent [1 1 Moore TOWEL CUTTER APPARATUS [76] Inventor:Arthur Ronald Moore, 3512 Hilly Ln., Elkhart, Ind. 46514 22] Filed: Jan.26, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 327,151

[52] US. Cl 83/209, 83/212, 83/467 [51] Int. Cl 326d 5/20 [58] Field ofSearch 83/18, 175, 209, 210, 211,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,728,392

12/1955 Marsh et a1. 83/211 X [4 1 Mar. 19, 1974 3,182,536 5/1965Sumpter, Jr. et al. 83/175 X Primary Examiner-Willie G. AbercrombieArtorney Agem, 0r Firm-Oltsch & Knoblock [57 1 ABSTRACT Apparatusforhandling an elongated piece of towel material and cutting the materialinto selected lengths to form individual towels. The towel material ismoved across a table surface and at selected locations is engaged by aplurality of comb-like teeth which serve to position the towel materialfor a cutter blade which traverses the material and severs the materialinto sec tions forming the individual towels.

8 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures 1 PATENTEDMAR 1 1914 3797348 sum 1 or 7 vPATENTEDMAR 19 IBM 3797' 348 SHEEI 3 0F 7 PATENTEDMAR 19 1974 7 SHEEI uBF 7 PATENTEDMAR 1 9 1914 3797.348

SHEET 5 BF 7 PATENTEUMAR 1 9 1914 3797348 SHEET 7 OF 7 1 TOWEL CUTTERAPPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatusfor cutting towels and will have particular application to animprovement for holding and positioning the elongated towel matetoolwhich traverses the table surface and severs the material into sectionsforming individual towels. This invention pertains specifically to theshape of the comb-like teeth which can be utilized for smooth surfacedtowel material as well as rough surfaced material such as terrycloth.

Heretofore, each tooth of the towel cutter was formed by juxtaposedcircular bar-like members which had a tendency to snag terrycloth andsimilar rough surfaced towel materials. The improved teethof thisinvention are of such a shape that terrycloth as wellas other types oftowel material can be utilized in the cutter without being snagged ortorn by the teeth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a cutter fortowels which is of an improved construction so as'to accommodateterrycloth and similar type towel material.

Another object of this invention is to provide towel cutting apparatusincluding comb-like teeth of improved design which serve to stop andposition the towel material in preparation for cutting. V I n Otherobjects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of theinventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of thisinvention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and descriptionwherein: FIG. 1 is a perspectiveview of the towel cutter assemblyincluding a towel stacker.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutting apparatus shown withinbroken line circle 2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view ofthe cutting apparatus of FIG. I i

2 as seen from theleft.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along'line 4--4 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a sectional FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of that portion of FIG. 5 enclosedwithinbroken line circle 6. t

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of P164. t

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view like'FIG. 8 showing the apparatus thereof in-asequential operational position.

FIG. 10 is a view like FIGS. 8 and 9 showing the apparatus in afollowing sequential operational position.

view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 11 is a view of the apparatus of FIGS.8-10 showing the apparatus thereof in a following sequential operationalposition.

2 FIG. 12 is an enlarged view as seen from line 12--l2 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view seen from line 1313 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing the teeth of the cutter apparatusprotruding from the cutter table surface.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 15-45 of FIG. 14. n

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the teeth of FIG. 15 as seen from below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT plication and practical use tothereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The following is a general description of the prior art towel cutterassembly developed by the inventor and in operation for the past severalyears.

Referring to FIG. 1, elongated towel material 10 is pulled from asuitable box 12 or other type receptacle or in roll form through thecutter apparatus 13 shown within broken line circle 2.'As the towelmaterial 10 is moved through apparatus 13, it is cut into sections, eachconstituting an individual towel 14. Each towel 14 is then transportedby a conveyor 16 onto a lift-like table 18 which is pivoted as indicatedby broken line arrow 20 so as to cause the towels 14 to be stacked on atable 19. From table 19 the stacked towels 14 can be boxedandtransported.

Cutter apparatus 13 as illustrated in FIGS. ,2-3 includes a tablesurface 22 having a plurality of longitudinally oriented slottedopenings I 24 formed therein. Towel material 10 is pulled from box 12.and moved over table surface 22 by means of a plurality of idler rollers26 and power rollers 28. Power rollers 28 are of the friction type,making moving contact with towel material 10, and are powered through asuitable belt, pulley and chain drive system 29 connected to an electricmotor,30. A clutch-brake 32, which is preferably electrically actuated,is operatively located between motor 30 ancldrive rollers 28. Thefunction of clutch brake'32 will be later described. t

A" rotatable disk-like cutter blade 34 is carried upon a track 36 so asto experience movement across table surface 22at openings'24 therein.Cutter blade 34 is causedto traverse track 36'by means of a chain andpulley drive 38 powered by amotor 40. Additionally, 'cu'tter blade 34 isrotated during its movement across between frame 48 and lower plate 46bof bar 46 so asto cause the independent pivotal movement of bar 46b, asillustrated in FIG. 8 and 10. Bar 46 includes a plurality of laterallyspaced teeth 50. Each tooth 50 consists -of tooth parts 50a and 50b,with part 50a being fixedly connected to bar plate 46a and with part 50bbeing fixedly connected to bar plate 46b at the free ends of the plate.A pneumatic power. cylinder 54, as best seen 3 in FIGS. 3 and 4, isconnected between fixed frame 49 of the cutter apparatus and anextension of frame 48 so as to cause frame 48, upon actuation of thepower cylinder, to be swung about its pivot connection 56 to frame 49.Through the actuation of power cylinder 54, bar 46 can be shiftedbetween the position shown in FIG. 8 in which each tooth 50 protrudesthrough an opening 24 in table surface 22 and the position illustratedin FIG. 1 1 in which teeth 50 are withdrawn from the table surfaceopening.

The operation of cutter apparatus 13 will now be described. Towelmaterial 10 is pulled from box 12 and fed across table surface 22 bypower rollers 28. Teeth 50 with parts 50a and 50b thereof in theirclosed position, as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, protrude through openings 24in the table surface. Towel material 10 includes interwoven longitudinalthreads 58 and transverse threads 60. At selected spaced locations 62along towel material 10 there is an absence of transverse threads 60. Itis at locations 62 that the individual towels 14 will be cut from theelongated towel material.

As towel material 10 is pulled over table surface 22 and acrossprotruding teeth 50, transverse threads 60 in the towel material willprevent the teeth from protruding through the material and thus willcause the material to be bent over the teeth as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.When a location 62, which designates an absence of transverse threads60, reaches teeth 50 as the power rollers continue to pull the materialacross the table surface, the teeth will protrude through the spaces 63between threads 58 at the location as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8.Continued towel material movement across the table surface causestransverse threads 60 at the upper end of location 62 to contact teeth50 as illustrated in FIG. 12 and to shift bar 46 downwardly from thebroken line to the solid line position in FIG. 9. As bar 46 is moveddownwardly by the towel material, a switch 64 is actuated to causedisengagement of clutch-brake 32 and the braking of power rollers 28 tostop the progression of towel material 10 across table surface 22. Itwill be noted that bar 46 and its parts 46a and 46b are held the upperposition seen in FIG. 8 by means of a spring 66 which is secured betweenframe 48 and lowermost bar'pa'rt 46b. When teeth 50 protrude through thetowelmaterial and are engaged by transverse threads 60 at the upper endof the location .62, spring 66 will give to allow bar 46 to be shifteddownwardly a selected distance as determined by a switch68. At theinstant switch 64 is actuated by the downward movement of bar 46 tocause a braking of power rollers 28 and stopping of the movement oftowelmaterial 10 across table surface 22, power cylinder 52 is actuatedto cause bar plates 46a and 46b and associated tooth parts 50a and 50bto separate, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13 and engage opposite transversethreads 60 at location 62, thereby positioning the towel material forcutting. Upon the opening of tooth parts 50a and 50b, motors 40 and 44.are activated to cause rotation of cutter blade 34 and the movement ofthe cutter blade across table surface 22 as seen in FIG. .10, therebysevering the longitudinal threads 58 at location 62 to form a towel 14.

During movement of the towel material across table surface 22 and thecutting of the material, a hold-down cam 70 presses the material againstthe outer face of the table surface. A switch 72, as seen in FIG. 2, iscon tacted by the cutter blade 34 as it completes its traverse of thetable surface to cause actuation of power cylinder 54. Upon actuation ofpower cylinder 54, frame 48, including bar 46, is pivoted so as towithdraw teeth 50 from openings 24 in the table surface. As teeth 50 arewithdrawn from openings 24, hold-down cam 70 which is operativelyconnected to frame 48 is pivoted away from towel material 10 andclutch-brake 32 is actuated to operatively reconnect motor with powerrollers 28 to cause towel material 10 to proceed across table surface 22where compressed air from a suitable compressed air source issues froman orifice 74, as illustrated by arrow 76 in FIG. 11, to feed the freeend 11 of towel material 10 between lower power roller 28 and theadjacent idler roller 26. At this time, power cylinder 52 is reactuatedto close bar plates 46a and 46b, after which power cylinder 54 causesbar 46 to be swung forwardly so as to reposition teeth 50 in openings 24in table surface 22 and against the overpassing towel material 10, asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, in preparation for the next cuttingoperation which takes place as the next location 62 in the towelmaterial passes over the protruding teeth. Simultaneously, conveyor 16serves to move the newly cut towel 14 onto table 18. It is to beunderstood that the above described cutting operation and intermittenttowel material movement across table surface 22 is quite rapid.

The subject matter of this invention has specific reference to theconstruction of teeth 50 which form a part of cutter apparatus 13 andwhich serve, as above described, to hold and position the towel material10 in preparation for its cutting. I-Ieretofore in prior constructionsof the cutter apparatus, each tooth part of bar 46 was of a circular rodconfiguration, having a flattened end face perpendicularly disposedrelative to the axis of the tooth part with the junction of the end faceand the cylindrical body of the tooth part being rounded. As previouslymentioned, this construction of teeth caused the snagging and tearing ofrough towel material, such as terrycloth. The improved teeth 50 of thisinvention corrected this problem of snagging and rendered the cutterapparatus applicable to all towel material. Each tooth 50, as seen inFIGS. 14 and 16, is of a substantially rectangular cross sectionalconfiguration. Each tooth part 50a includes an inner side edge 74, aparallel outer side edge 76, and a front end edge 78. Each tooth part50b includes an inner side edge 80, a parallel outerside edge 82, and afront end edge 84 which is inset from end edge 78 of thecooperatingtooth part 50a. The inner side edge, outer side edge and front end edgeof each tooth part is slightly rounded with the junction of the endedges with the inner and outer side edges being on a radius, formingarcuate edge sections. The arcuate edge section 86 forming the junctionbetween outer side edge 76 and end edge 78 of tooth part 50a is of agreater radius than the arcuate edge section 88 which forms the junctionbetween inner side edge 74 and end edge 78 of the tooth part. Similarly,arcuate edge section 90 of tooth part 50b formed at the junction ofouter edge 82 and end edge 84 is of a greater radius than the arcuateedge section 92 formed between inner edge and end edge 84 of the toothpart. Additionally, the width'of each tooth part 50a as measured betweenside edges 74 and 76 is approximately twice the width of cooperatingtooth part 50b as measured between its side edges 80 and 82.

in the actual construction of an embodiment of this invention, teeth 50were secured along bar 46 to parts 46a and 46b thereof on one-fourthinch centers with the thickness of each tooth being approximatelyonesixteenth inch as measured between side faces 96 and part of thetooth, the first part of each tooth including an inner side edge locatednext to the second part of the tooth and a parallel outer side edge andan end edge 98. The width of each tooth part 50:: as measured be- Endedge 84 of each tooth part 50b was set in oneeighth inch from end edge78 of each cooperating tooth part 50a.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedetails herein given, but may be modified within the scope of theappended claims.

What 1 claim is: t

1. In a cutter for towels, said cutter including a table surface meanshaving first and second ends and transverse opening means formedtherein, means for moving elongated towel material lengthwise from saidfirst to said second ends across said surface means and opening meanstherein, said material of the type formed by a plurality of interwovenlongitudinal and transverse threads with adjacent transverse threads atselected locations being-spaced an appreciable distance apart,

cutting means for severing said longitudinal threads between said spacedadjacent transverse threads at a selected location in said material,support means for positioning and holding said material during saidsevering of said longitudinal threads, the improvement wherein saidsupport means includes a plurality of laterally spaced comb-like teethaligned across said surface means, each tooth protruding through saidopening means into the path of movement of said material over saidsurface means and being divided longitudinally into separable first andsecond coplanar parts, means for shifting the parts of each tooth withinsaid opening means in a plane paralleling the direction of movement ofsaid material over said surface means between an open position whereinsaid parts are spaced apart sufficiently to contact spaced adjacenttransverse threads at a selected location in said material and a closedposition wherein said parts are together, each tooth part having amultiple sided cross sectional configuration, the first part of eachtooth being located nearer to the first end of said table surface meansthan the second extending between said inner and outer edges, said endedge being joined to said outer and inner edges by arcuate edgesections, the edge section between said end and outer edges being formedone greater radius than the edge section between said end and inneredges, the second tooth part of each tooth including an inner side edgelocated next to the first part of the tooth and a parallel outer sideedge and an end edge extending between said inner and outer edges of thesecond tooth part, said end edge of the first part extending beyond theend edge of the second part of each tooth.

2. The cutterof claim 1 wherein the end edge of each second tooth partis joined to the outer and inner edges of the second tooth part byarcuate edge sections, the edge section between end and outer edges ofsaid second tooth part being formed on a greater radius than the edgesection between said end and inner edges of the second tooth part.

3. The cutter of claim 2 wherein the width of each first tooth part asmeasured between its inner and outer edges is at least twice the widthof each second tooth part as measured between its said inner and outeredges. j

4. The cutter of claim 1 wherein each tooth part ins cludes oppositeparallel side faces terminating at said inner and outer edges and saidend edge of the tooth part the width'of each tooth part as measuredbetween its inner and outer edges being greater than the thickness ofsuch toothpart as measured between its-side faces. i I

5. Thecutter of claim 4 wherein each first tooth part width is at leasttwo times the thickness of-the first tooth part. a r

6. The cutter of claim 5 wherein the thickness of the first andsecondrtooth parts of each tooth are equal.

7. The cutter of claim 6 wherein the combined widths of the first andsecond tooth parts of each tooth is greater than the thickness of thetooth parts) 8;, The cutter of claim 4 wherein each first tooth partwidth is six times the thickness of the first tooth part. =i= i =l

1. In a cutter for towels, said cutter including a table surface meanshaving first and second ends and transverse opening means formedtherein, means for moving elongated towel material lengthwise from saidfirst to said second ends across said surface means and opening meanstherein, said material of the type formed by a plurality of interwovenlongitudinal and transverse threads with adjacent transverse threads atselected locations being spaced an appreciable distance apart, cuttingmeans for severing said longitudinal threads between said spacedadjacent transverse threads at a selected location in said material,support means for positioning and holding said material during saidsevering of said longitudinal threads, the improvement wherein saidsupport means includes a plurality of laterally spaced comb-like teethaligned across said surface means, each tooth protruding through saidopening means into the path of movement of said material over saidsurface means and being divIded longitudinally into separable first andsecond coplanar parts, means for shifting the parts of each tooth withinsaid opening means in a plane paralleling the direction of movement ofsaid material over said surface means between an open position whereinsaid parts are spaced apart sufficiently to contact spaced adjacenttransverse threads at a selected location in said material and a closedposition wherein said parts are together, each tooth part having amultiple sided cross sectional configuration, the first part of eachtooth being located nearer to the first end of said table surface meansthan the second part of the tooth, the first part of each toothincluding an inner side edge located next to the second part of thetooth and a parallel outer side edge and an end edge extending betweensaid inner and outer edges, said end edge being joined to said outer andinner edges by arcuate edge sections, the edge section between said endand outer edges being formed on a greater radius than the edge sectionbetween said end and inner edges, the second tooth part of each toothincluding an inner side edge located next to the first part of the toothand a parallel outer side edge and an end edge extending between saidinner and outer edges of the second tooth part, said end edge of thefirst part extending beyond the end edge of the second part of eachtooth.
 2. The cutter of claim 1 wherein the end edge of each secondtooth part is joined to the outer and inner edges of the second toothpart by arcuate edge sections, the edge section between end and outeredges of said second tooth part being formed on a greater radius thanthe edge section between said end and inner edges of the second toothpart.
 3. The cutter of claim 2 wherein the width of each first toothpart as measured between its inner and outer edges is at least twice thewidth of each second tooth part as measured between its said inner andouter edges.
 4. The cutter of claim 1 wherein each tooth part includesopposite parallel side faces terminating at said inner and outer edgesand said end edge of the tooth part, the width of each tooth part asmeasured between its inner and outer edges being greater than thethickness of such tooth part as measured between its side faces.
 5. Thecutter of claim 4 wherein each first tooth part width is at least twotimes the thickness of the first tooth part.
 6. The cutter of claim 5wherein the thickness of the first and second tooth parts of each toothare equal.
 7. The cutter of claim 6 wherein the combined widths of thefirst and second tooth parts of each tooth is greater than the thicknessof the tooth parts.
 8. The cutter of claim 4 wherein each first toothpart width is six times the thickness of the first tooth part.